Classical elementary particles, spin, zitterbewegung and all that

TL;DR

This paper revisits the classical features of the Dirac electron, proposing a definition of elementary particles that links classical and quantum properties like spin and zitterbewegung, clarifying their classical-quantum correspondence.

Contribution

It introduces a plausible classical definition of elementary particles that elucidates the relationship between classical spin, zitterbewegung, and quantum features of the electron.

Findings

Classical spin structure is related to quantum spin.

Zitterbewegung corresponds to classical variables of the particle.

A clear classical-quantum correspondence is established.

Abstract

After a revision of the main features of the structure of the Dirac electron a plausible definition of elementary particle is stated. It is shown that this definition leads in the classical case to a picture which produces a very clear correspondence between the classical and quantum mechanical features of the electron. It is analyzed how the classical spin structure and zitterbewegung are related to the classical variables that define the kinematical state of the particle.